- Columbus renters can save big by ditching the car: Over $5,670 a year by swapping car commutes for public transit.
- But time spent in public transit adds up: Commuting by car amounts to 45 minutes, while public transport eats up 82 minutes, costing commuters over six extra days a year.
A Point2Homes study looked at how renters could save money by switching from driving to taking public transport on their daily commute. The analysis examined 30 of the largest cities in the U.S., ranking them by how much commuters could save by making the switch.
While Columbus, OH, was in the bottom five in terms of savings, its commuters could still gain a fair chunk of cash by ditching the car and taking the bus. Indeed, those who do turn to public transit instead would find they’re saving well over a month’s salary over the year.
Home to about 906,480 residents (around 56% of whom are renters), transportation costs in Columbus weigh heavily on a large share of the population. But, as a fairly car-dependent city, questions emerge: How feasible is it for those renting in Columbus to make the switch? Is it worth it, or is the time saved by driving more important to locals? For some, particularly younger households, the answer is yes, with the savings from public transit potentially making a difference.
Saving Money: Commuting Renters in Columbus Can Save $5,671 a Year by Taking Public Transport Instead of Driving
The average annual cost of commuting by car in Ohio’s most populous city is $6,415 (taking the costs of fuel, insurance, parking, and maintenance into consideration). Among the country’s 30 largest cities, Columbus is the fifth cheapest for commuting by car.
Meanwhile, to commute by public transportation, the average commuter can expect to pay $744 a year. This results in annual savings of $5,671, which is almost $1,500 more than the average monthly salary in the city.
While this difference places the capital city in the fifth lowest place in the study, it’s a significant chunk of cash that can really make a difference to renters on a tight budget. As such, for those able to, switching to public transport and ditching the car can help ease some financial strain, pay off loans, and potentially create a financial safety net.
Saving Time: How Much Time Can Commuting Renters Save by Driving in Columbus?
While substantial savings can be made by switching to public transport, it’s important to ask whether these savings are worthwhile compared to the time saved by driving. Indeed, many drivers use their car to commute because it’s faster, more comfortable, and much more flexible, allowing for additional chores (such as taking the kids to school or picking up groceries) to be taken care of easily.
At just over 45 minutes for the average car commute, drivers in Columbus enjoy the second shortest car commute time of the major cities studied, after Memphis, TN. What’s more, public transport users also benefit from the third shortest commute time among the 30 largest U.S. cities, averaging at 82.5 minutes (a few short minutes more than Memphis and Oklahoma City).
Even though the city has relatively short public transit times, commuting by bus still takes about 40 minutes longer than driving. Over a year, that adds up to an extra six and a half days on the road. As such, it’s easy to see why so many commuters prefer to stick with the car and enjoy greater flexibility and, most importantly, more free time.
How Reliable Is Public Transport in Columbus?
With a Walk Score of 41 out of 100 and a lower Transit Score of 30, the city is considered car-dependent, with most errands reliant on a car to complete them efficiently. In fact, most recent Columbus data states that about 369,600 residents commute by car, over 12,000 walk to work, and roughly 10,000 rely on the bus or trolleybus. Plus, the average household owns two cars, reinforcing just how central driving is to daily life in the city.
In most residential neighborhoods in Columbus, amenities such as stores, schools, and entertainment venues aren’t close enough to walk to comfortably. There are exceptions to the rule, however, and the Short North, Italian Village, and German Village are among the most walkable in the city. In addition, Columbus offers fairly good infrastructure for cycling, with numerous trails and a comprehensive bike share program.
Public transportation in Columbus is maintained by COTA (Central Ohio Transit Authority), which operates fixed-route bus services. Routes run throughout the central city area, with numerous lines serving the surrounding suburbs, including Worthington, New Albany, Hilltop, and Grove City, among others. It’s worth noting that some services only run during rush hours.
All in all, Columbus has decent public transportation coverage, with most areas served by at least one route. Still, trips usually take longer and offer less flexibility than driving, so whether the savings are worth it really comes down to personal circumstances.
Methodology
Point2Homes.com is a real estate listing portal for rental homes across the United States. Part of Yardi Systems, Point2Homes covers housing trends and news through comprehensive studies that draw from internal data, public records, governmental sources, and online research.
- For this study, we took into consideration the 30 most populous U.S. cities, per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS 2023).
- Data about means of transportation to get to work, tenure by vehicles and commute time for the 30 largest U.S. cities were also sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS 2023).
- Data on fuel and maintenance costs was sourced from AAA, car insurance costs from Bankrate, and parking rates from Spothero.
- Data on the financial cost of public transit commuting in each city was sourced from APTA and local transit authority websites.
- The median income for the renter and owner households at the national level and also for the 30 cities used in the analysis were sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS 2023).
Image: Agnieszka Gaul/Shutterstock.com
Fair use and redistribution
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